FOLKESTONE HARBOUR

WHAT TO DO?

Well, apart from eating and drinking and just enjoying the sights, take your pick – with live music, DJ events, film and sports screenings, there’s almost always something on. Visit
folkestoneharbourarm.co.uk/events for the events calendar.

You can play shuffleboard or interactive darts at The Board Room, or tee off at the 12 hole Adventure Golf Course set right into the shingle beach, dotted with palm trees and boulders..

If shopping is your bag, the Marketplace is Folkestone Harbour’s retail hub with a twist. 35 fisherman style, bespoke huts come together to form a thriving nerve centre of creativity, offering everything from a selection of local makers, creators, artists and producers. Christmas and other seasonal markets add to the charm.

THE GOODS YARD

Home to the Big Screen showing the sports of the day and an extensive cinema programme, The Goods Yard hosts events and is home to Kent’s fastest growing street food village. There’s an eclectic mix – showcasing local produce, worldwide flavours and of course great drinks too. With so many options the hardest decision is going to be which one do you go for?

THE LIGHTHOUSE

After you’ve strolled the length of the Harbour Arm, taking in the shops and sights along the way, you come to the Lighthouse Champagne Bar, sometimes described as the jewel in the Harbour Arm’s crown.

This historic fully functioning lighthouse was faithfully restored in 2014 and now serves a wide variety of quality fizz, English wines and many other drinks. With its dramatic location, striking architectural setting and gentle music drifting on the breeze, this is the most unique bar you’ll ever visit – France over yonder, the White Cliffs up the way, and a vast expanse of sea and coastline unrolling before your eyes.

The Lighthouse itself bears the legend Weather is a Third to Place and Time from the work of British artist Ian Hamilton Finley as part of the Folkestone Artworks project. It serves as a practical reminder of how important the weather is to all who work at sea and suggests how the weather – onto which we tend to project our moods – gives meaning to the two dimensions of our normal self-awareness: place and time. The lighthouse is situated about 10 minutes’ walk from the foreshore: those ten minutes are strongly influenced by the weather!

BEACHSIDE

Beachside is a relaxed, oasis-like environment, home to some spectacular eateries including The Pilot Beach Bar and Little Rock which both serve food and drink directly onto the beach.

With breath-taking views in all directions, this is the ultimate spot for those wanting to feel like they’ve escaped to somewhere far away, whilst still embracing the best the English coastline has to offer.

A HISTORIC HARBOUR

Since at least Roman times, trading ships had been landing here, although it was a risky business due to shifting sands and shingle. The modern story goes back around 200 years, with much of the development in the 19th and 20th centuries as a ferry and fishing port.

The railway arrived in 1843, and Folkestone rapidly became one of England’s most fashionable seaside towns. Regular ferries ran between Folkestone and Boulogne and then Calais, and the pier – the Harbour Arm – was completed in 1904.

THE HARBOUR AND THE WARS

Folkestone played a key role throughout World War I. Over 8.6 million passengers passed through the port between 1914-18, including troops en route to France or returning on leave, Red Cross workers and European refugees. There was even a free buffet (the Mole Café) providing tea and refreshments to soldiers, sailors and members of the Red Cross.

World War II saw the evacuation of Dunkerque in May–June 1940. Every boat in Folkestone took part, bringing troops back to trains that were waiting at the harbour station. Over a nine-day ¬period an estimated 35,000 troops and 9,000 refugees were landed, and 64 trains left the station.

You now stroll through the Old Folkestone Harbour Station which has been lovingly restored and even won a National Railway Heritage Award.